Food Addiction Rebelhttp://foodaddictionrebel.com
Navigating the ups and downs of dieting, weight loss surgery and a daily recoveryThu, 25 Jan 2018 23:31:56 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.3https://i0.wp.com/foodaddictionrebel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/93c084274ce224a62331cd53ddb76e0a.png?fit=32%2C32Food Addiction Rebelhttp://foodaddictionrebel.com
3232136792257Surgery #2….http://foodaddictionrebel.com/2018/01/25/surgery-2/
http://foodaddictionrebel.com/2018/01/25/surgery-2/#respondThu, 25 Jan 2018 23:31:56 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=174Somehow this blog post got deleted a few months ago… so briefly… In November 2014 I had gastric bypass surgery. From almost the moment after surgery I experienced major complications. I was diagnosed with an ulcer at one of my new connection sites. I was put on medication for the ulcer and repeatedly went back … Continue reading Surgery #2….

In November 2014 I had gastric bypass surgery. From almost the moment after surgery I experienced major complications. I was diagnosed with an ulcer at one of my new connection sites. I was put on medication for the ulcer and repeatedly went back to Dr Dumbass (my surgeon) and every time he would just dismiss me with more meds and out the door I’d go. I ended up in the ICU 3 different times… I had extremely low electrolytes and my heart rate was all over the place. I had many EGD’s done (endoscopy) and each time the ulcer was detected but nothing ever seemed to get rid of it.

This went on for 3 years until Dr Dumbass made the comment for me to go to Mayo… so I did!

During this 3 years before going to Mayo, I was in constant pain… I had a feeding tube at one point…. what was supposed to be life changing and super exciting quickly became a nightmare!

All the preparation we have to go thru before surgery, no one prepares us for the things that can go terribly wrong.

Why did I decide to have gastric after the lap band was such a fail?

Because my weight was out of control! I had an awful addiction to food, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t beat it. I was literally hungry ALL the time! No matter how much I ate, it was never enough. I was in a very bad place. In November of 2013 I went to see my ortho dr for my knees. My knees were killing me! I could barely walk! After x rays it showed that both of my knees were bone to bone with bone spurs! The Dr looked at me and as nice as he could put it said, “you have to lose weight, there is nothing I can do for you now” I thought to myself, “well no shit I need to lose weight, your not telling me anything I don’t know”! I felt a huge lump in my throat and I fought back the tears. All I wanted to do was run (or in my case waddle) out of there as fast as I could! I got to my car and cried. I knew he was right as mad and humiliated as I was right then and there I knew I had to do something.

So I came home and called my insurance company, I was advised as of Jan 2014 if you worked for the state they would pay a portion of bariatric surgery. There would also just like with the lap band be all the same hurdles to jump through. But I was so excited, I didn’t care!

Come Jan I had to have a letter from my primary dr stating that he thought I was a good candidate for gastric bypass surgery. Then I had to meet with him for 6 months, I had a mandatory seminar to attend, plus many other hurdles.

Nov 21 2014 I had the surgery! My whole family went with me to support me and was there waiting for me after I got out of surgery. The first night was a rough one. I ended up stop breathing and sounding all the alarms off! The next day I had to have a blood transfusion as I lost a lot of blood during surgery. The complications followed me after I was released. Not the outcome I was wishing for.

One big thing I didn’t research after surgery was how I would feel… I weighed 489 going in and coming out I weighed just a little less… but one thing I was expecting was carrying all that weight around after. I was completely depleted on nutrients and food. So I was very weak. Even taking a shower or walking to the bathroom was extremely tasking. My mom even had to buy me a shower chair and a walker. I thought I’d be off work only 2 weeks and it ended up being 8 weeks plus many more missed days due to being in the hospital afterwards for 3 years.

I am asked quiet frequently if I would recommend surgery and my answer is NO! If I had known then what I know now and how high some risks are I never would of done it period! Yes, I’ve lost a lot of weight but I have paid the price for it… literally! I wish I would of got more education on the surgery and how to live a healthier lifestyle before I went through all this! Food addiction is a disease just like any other addiction… and just because I’ve had the surgery doesn’t mean I’m not hungry or make the “right” choices in food. Knowledge is power!! There is NO such thing as willpower nor is it just as easy as pushing yourself away from the food. It’s about choices and learning how to control those impulses and cravings. Nothing about weight loss or weight loss surgery is easy and if you think it is… walk in those shoes!

Now this takes us to the surgery #3…. not a surgery I wanted but had to have to save my life! Read that blog post…

SUGAR!!! We need it, we love it, we gotta have it! It’s in almost every single food or drink we consume! Some of us are so addicted to our sodas, candies, baked goods… that we literally HAVE to have it! We don’t function right without it… for some of us it’s having a cup of coffee in the morning with 3 packets of sugar or all the fancy coffees they make now loaded with sugar… it’s that soda that gives us that pick me up all throughout the day… then we add candy bars, fast food, cakes, you name it, everything bad for us has tons of sugar in it and we LOVE it! The more we consume of sugar, the more we want! Our bodies start to crave it just like a drug addict. As you see in the first picture the brain responds to sugar more than cocaine!! That is crazy!! Something that most of us have in our pantries and in almost everything we eat is legal AND addicting!! If we could walk around with a chart of how much sugar was in our foods/drinks at the grocery store or the ones we purchase at convenient stores we may think twice about consuming all that unwanted sugar.

No one is saying you have to give up everything… that only sets us up for failure… I’ve blogged before about everything in moderation! You have to learn to take the control back from sugar! But if you try to go cold turkey, it’s going to be very hard on you. Be smart about it! Begin a sugar detox by first getting approval from you doctor to make sure it’s safe and you don’t have an underlying medical condition going on! Your Dr can recommend a safe way of detoxing your body. When I had my weight loss surgeries, I had to go cold turkey and it was not fun at all… I have major withdrawals from terrible headaches to feeling extreme fatigue. I could have absolutely NO soda and that alone I thought would kill me! LOL!

After I stopped drinking soda the first 2 times before weight loss surgery a few months after both of those surgeries I was right back to drinking soda! I started out a little at a time because my body couldn’t handle all the sugar but eventually I was right back to drinking it throughout the day! Dr Pepper was weakness!! I needed it, I craved it!! And I would much rather punch someone in the face then them take it away from me! I was defiantly a Dr Pepper addict! No other soda just that one! Then once that sugar addiction started with my soda (yes its MY soda, like I invented it or something… LOL) ! Then I moved back to ice cream, cookies, cakes etc…

My point to this is… I completely quit sugar… three times… I had too for weight loss surgery requirements but I gradually went back to sugar… it lured me in dirty bastard anyway… and I got hooked all over again! Its very easy to do and it has nothing to do with willpower as much as it does understanding the “why” its so bad for us. I used to NEED my Dr Pepper fix and I couldn’t get through a day without at least 2 and that was minimum! I couldn’t go the grocery store for groceries without grabbing one on my way out… mind you… bottled water was sitting right by it in the cooler they use to entice us to by drinks while in line waiting… and if I had to stop for gas… well that always meant grabbing a big soda from the fountain and a candy bar!! ALWAYS!!

Since my last surgery in July, they didn’t make me quit sugar but I knew my body was going to hate me afterwards if I didn’t at least cut back… although to be honest the night before when we got to Rochester and went out to eat… oh yes I had a Dr Pepper! That was the last one I have had! July 12th! I”m not perfect by any means… I’ve had a few sips from my spouse since then but I know how easy it would be to slip back into that habit if I let myself… so I don’t… I can honestly tell you that I drink water! Water all the time! I won’t let myself get back on that sugar train again… yes, every now and then I treat myself to a cookie, a small piece of pie… but difference now is… I understand my addiction and what causes it and how far I can take it! I’ve worked too damn hard to go back to where I was! THAT IS MY MOTIVATION!!!

So how many grams of sugar is recommended daily?

Women- 20 grams or 5 teaspoons

Men- 36 grams or 9 teaspoons

Children- 12 grams or 3 teaspoons

What happens to our bodies on high sugar diets? Foods/drinks with high sugar added in them trigger a rapid rise in our blood sugar levels, which gives us that quick burst of energy. This overwhelms and overstimulates the pancreas causing it to release large amounts of insulin. Our insulin acts as a “clean up” crew coming in and trying to mop up the excess sugar. Once the insulin starts to “clean” up the excess sugar it then drops over sugar level in the blood… making us feel hungry again. The “sugar crash” we experience can make us feel tired and crave it even more to replenish that high we just came down from. This becomes a viscous cycle… the more sugar we consume, the more we want… and that can lead to becoming overweight and obese. We consume twice as many calories at one time and want more… you do the math! That is why some will say, “but I exercise to burn it off” for some of us that works, those fortunate people have fast acting metabolism. And then there are those of use that “if we see a piece of cake we gain 10 lbs” … eating “real” foods will make your body feel good and you won’t have those surges of quick energy but long lasting effects from eating healthier.

For that sweet tooth try eating fresh fruits that are naturally sweetened. You may think that Little Debbie Snack Cake in the fridge vs the apple tastes better… but after time when you make healthier decisions you will be rewarding your body and you will feel satisfied longer!

Make sure you read labels on products! Companies have many different ways to disguise what we call sugar! For instance… Yogurt… sweetened yogurt is loaded with sugar! But you say, yogurt is healthy… only IF you read the label! Try having plain yogurt and adding fresh or frozen fruit.

Some different names for sugar that companies use are… these are just a few of the more common ones used in packaging…

brown sugar

corn syrup

dextrin

dextrose

frutose

fruit juice concentrate

high fructose corn syrup

galatose

glucose

hydrogenated starch

invert sugar maltose

polyols

raw sugar

sucrose

xylitoll

Check condiments as well they have lots of added sugars! Ketch ups, mustards, salad dressing etc..

]]>140Grazinghttp://foodaddictionrebel.com/2018/01/05/grazing/
Fri, 05 Jan 2018 18:00:33 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=137When I think of grazing I think of a cow out in the pasture eating all day… which is exactly what I used to do… eat all day! But I wasn’t eating the good foods, I was eating junk foods! I didn’t learn until I went to school to be a health coach that actually … Continue reading Grazing

When I think of grazing I think of a cow out in the pasture eating all day… which is exactly what I used to do… eat all day! But I wasn’t eating the good foods, I was eating junk foods! I didn’t learn until I went to school to be a health coach that actually breaking your meals up throughout the day was actually very beneficial for your health.

So what does grazing me in the health world? Dr. Sears says, eat twice as often, eat half as much, and chew twice as long! Eating mini-meals keeps the body satisfied. Think about when you are starving, and say “I’m so hungry I could eat everything in the house”… your blood sugar has plummeted, and your brain is telling you to… “feed me now”! So when you finally get to eat you overeat. So eating smaller meals or snacks throughout the day prevents your blood sugar from dropping too low.

Have you ever heard “if you drink when your thirsty, your already dehydrated’? Eating is the same… schedule meals and snacks throughout the day. Your body will also digest the food more easily as well instead of eating a great big meal all at once. And the nutrients absorbed through smaller meals benefits the body a lot more than eating 3 big meals a day.

Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. I used to hate to eat breakfast, it always made me feel worse and I felt like I ate more throughout the day. I didn’t realize that the problem was… I ate all the wrong things that were not good for me. I ate cereal loaded with sugar and tons of carbs, there was no balance, no real protein, just sugars…which made my blood sugar spike and within an hour I was hungry again. So when I started learning how to eat healthier, a healthy breakfast was something I was going to have to learn to incorporate. Now breakfast is my most favorite meal. Instead of sugary cereal now I eat 2 hard boiled eggs, a slice of baked ham, and 1/4 cup 100% orange juice. It stabilizes my blood sugar and sets my metabolism for the day.

It’s important to enjoy fill-up foods, junk carbs release sugars fast… this includes processed foods, candy, etc… power up with protein! Some top fill up foods with lean protein, fiber, healthy fat…

These are just a few foods loaded with all the good things our bodies need. Don’t be afraid to add a bit of fat to your meal or snack. It provides satiety.

Chose quality over quantity. Processed food is designed and packaged to make us overeat and it’s very low in keeping us full. Choosing real foods and foods we make, we know what we are putting in the food instead of letting someone else decide that for us.

What is considered a serving size? How much is it? A serving size should be about the size of your fist. The size of most fruit such as apples, oranges are a serving size. In our day and age we have quadrupled what a serving size is. Super-size and the bigger the better! Then we wonder why out waist size increases and our health takes a hit. I used to go to McDonald’s almost every night after work and I’d order 2 cheeseburgers, extra large fries, large Dr Pepper and 3 cookies… and I could eat it all!! I look back now and can’t believe I could eat that much food. When you learn how to eat healthy proportions of foods you understand why you felt as bad as you did… all that “sticky” stuff clogs your arteries and slows your blood flow. Most heart attacks happen after a big meal. Think about the last time you ate at an all you eat buffet… you have the salad bar, then a couple of trips to the dinner bar and then or course dessert! And afterwards you don’t feel so good, you get sleepy, your body becomes sluggish… that is the highest risk of heart attack after eating a huge, fat filled meal.

When should you stop eating? It takes 20 minutes for the brain to process to the stomach if it is full. So what does that mean? It means focus on your proportion control. Use smaller plates, larger plates tend to make our “eyes bigger than our stomachs”… it’s a trick that does work! Also put your fork/spoon down on your plate in between bites… this will help you focus on chewing more and not so fast.

Adding small changes to the way we think about food and how we eat= a much healthier and better lifestyle! “We are what we absorb”

]]>137Move it!!http://foodaddictionrebel.com/2018/01/04/move-it/
Thu, 04 Jan 2018 18:23:03 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=128With all the fancy apps and gadgets out there it can be confusing on which ones to use or not use. Do we need the most expensive ones on the market? Thousands of apps on our phones to pick from. Then of course we have to buy workout shoes and workout clothes… I mean, we … Continue reading Move it!!

With all the fancy apps and gadgets out there it can be confusing on which ones to use or not use. Do we need the most expensive ones on the market? Thousands of apps on our phones to pick from. Then of course we have to buy workout shoes and workout clothes… I mean, we have to look good and feel good about working out! Right?!?

I think with a little research you can find the right app, fitness trackers, shoes and clothes. You have to do what is right for YOU! Not what is the “in” thing at the moment. Some of those gadgets I swear you have to be a rocket scientist just to operate them, that and I am not tech savy at all!

Apps to chose from if you don’t have a fitness tracker are my fitness pal, google fitness, workout trainer, Samsung Health….. the list goes on and on… try them out and see which one you like, see which one you understand and can follow.

I have a fitness tracker… my good ol fitbit, I love this thing! I have it sunk with my phone so I can add in food intake, water intake, my weight goal… etc… I got a new Flex 2 for Christmas and I like because it’s waterproof and I have it set so it reminds me to move every hour. I don’t wear this one every day as there is no time display and that drives me nuts but when I get in the pool to water walk in a few months it will come in very handy because it’s waterproof and the fitbit is not!

Whatever is going to keep you moving and help hold you accountable is a great thing!

How many of us have dreaded doing a workout or going to the gym but AFTER we workout we actually feel better!! And not too mention we get to give ourselves a little pat on the back for getting over that hill of doing it! Remember this feeling! Remember why you are doing this… FOR YOUR HEALTH!! Make every day count, make every day matter! No one is going to do it for you… no one can make you change… only YOU! STRIVE & RISE!! Go do a workout, you will thank yourself later!

]]>128Why Do I Need to Exercise?http://foodaddictionrebel.com/2018/01/03/why-do-i-need-to-exercise/
Wed, 03 Jan 2018 19:44:54 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=124What is the best exercise to do? The one your going to do!! Make it fun, change it up and most importantly you don’t have to start out crazy…. How long should you exercise? First, make sure you check with your Dr before starting any exercise program… it is recommended to start out at 10- … Continue reading Why Do I Need to Exercise?

]]>What is the best exercise to do? The one your going to do!! Make it fun, change it up and most importantly you don’t have to start out crazy….

How long should you exercise? First, make sure you check with your Dr before starting any exercise program… it is recommended to start out at 10- 20 mins a day, six days a week. Build up from here, add to your time as you work out. Walking is a great way to start out. Walking faster is more efficient than walking longer. Exercise to feel good, not to just burn calories.

Most of us think of exercise as a chore, just another thing added to our long list of things to do. If we set our alarms 30 minutes earlier to get up for work so we can do a workout, how many of us hit that snooze alarm and go right back to sleep? I’m guilty for sure! It seemed like a good idea when I went to bed but not so good in the morning!

Or are you one of those people that say, “I’m gonna go to the gym right after work, before I even sit down for the evening, or I’m gonna go for a walk when I get home or get on the treadmill? Then it never happens!

Why do we need to exercise? This was one of my Ah Ha! Moments! Since the beginning of time we have all heard, “exercise is important for our health”… “wanna lose weight, then you need to exercise” UGH!!!! My question has always been why? Other than the common factor it helps us to lose weight. But what does it really do for the body? What happens? I’ve often heard if you incorporate weight lifting then it burns calories well after the workout but I still never understood “WHY” exercise was important. Other than it’s good for our hearts etc.. So let me explain this the best I can that helps me every time I sit too long or when I don’t wanna work out…

Bare with me here and don’t quit reading because this will make sense… this is what I was taught through my schooling at Dr Sears Wellness Institute… it is also one of four workshops I offer for group and one on one coaching…

This is a picture of what your endothelium looks like… what is an endothelium? The endothelium is located in your blood vessels and is the largest endocrine system in your body! Spread out it would be larger than several tennis courts!

(courtesy of Dr Sears Wellness Institute)

What does it do then? Endothelium is your personal internal medicine pharmacy. HUH? What the hell does that mean? When you exercise/MOVE your body releases Nitric Oxide which prompts the body to make it’s own medicines. Nitric Oxide lowers the highs… high blood pressure, high cholesterol. Basically, you are getting your blood flowing… when you sit for long periods of time such as at work or sitting in front of the tv, your blood of course is flowing but not like when your up moving around or exercising.

(Picture courtesy of Dr Sears Wellness Institute)

In left hand picture you can see your medicine bottles at the bottom of the pic are closed. The yellow stuff above the medicine bottles is plaque or what we call “sticky” stuff that gets in your bloodstream and slows the blood flow down, leading to…. bingo! You got it… CLOTS! Heart disease, high cholesterol. The food in the top right hand corner is not “real” food, it’s processed food and fast food. You see how the red blood cells in the center of that pic are more together and not spread out. It starts to build a traffic jam and narrows the arteries and the medicine bottles can’t open and release the nitric oxide.

In the right hand picture it shows someone who moves more and you will see at the bottom of the picture how the medicine bottles are open! The food in the right hand corner is of fish, fruits and veggies. You will also notice how the blood cells are spread out, widening the arteries. No “sticky” stuff is accumulating and the blood is flowing freely!

Bottom line… if your internal pharmacy is CLOSED it means more health problems and shorter life span. If your pharmacy is OPEN then less health problems and longer life span!

So next time your exercising think about what your doing for your body and that is releasing Nitric Oxide. Think about exercise as more than just being a chore or a task you dread… this is saving your life! It is preventing major health factors! Every little bit of movement or exercise helps! Quit making excuses!

]]>124Scale vs Measurementshttp://foodaddictionrebel.com/2018/01/02/scale-vs-measurements/
Tue, 02 Jan 2018 19:31:30 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=118Ok, so you got on the scale and the number made your eyes pop out as much as your waste band has been growing! Funny, not funny! This year is a new year and you decided THIS is gonna be your year! Now you have made this vow many times over but this is it! … Continue reading Scale vs Measurements

]]>Ok, so you got on the scale and the number made your eyes pop out as much as your waste band has been growing! Funny, not funny!

This year is a new year and you decided THIS is gonna be your year! Now you have made this vow many times over but this is it! Your gonna do it! No looking back!

So we begin… we either love the scale or we hate it! As someone that has struggled for years with the battle, I know it’s real. It’s about as real as the addiction I have to food… and the curse of the scale or a full length mirror!

What I have learned is… it isn’t about what the scale says as much as it is the measurements. Think about this… if you weigh yourself every day or multiple times a day, the scale is going to fluctuate… your body is constantly changing throughout the day… and as long as your weight number is going down all is good with the world and gives us a positive feeling but if that number goes up negative thoughts come into play. I was told by my personal trainer years ago to ditch the scale, he allowed me to weigh myself every 2 weeks. And it was rough at first because of course since I was working out and lifting weights, I was gaining weight buuuuuuut I was losing inches!! We took measurements once a week, we did that on the same day and time. And when I weighed I weighed every 2 weeks same day, same time…

Now fast forward to today and I apply the same principle. Not only did he teach me this but I learned about this when I became a health coach. The size of your waist is a very strong indicator of your overall health!! Abdominal fat releases chemicals into the bloodstream that harm our bodies and cause increased risk for health problems!

What is your body type?

Toxic waist raises the “highs”…. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood fats. This results in diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, Alzheimers, mood disorders, etc. The bloodstream carries all these toxins that we store so you can imagine it effects everything in our bodies!

Toxic waist increases our chances for diseases!!

A women’s waist should be no greater than 35 inches and a man’s waste should be no more than 40 inches.

Did you know that when you go to the Dr if you are overweight or obese the new term now is pre diabetic? What does that mean? Being overweight or obese increases your chances of becoming diabetic! Obesity accounts for 80-85% of the risk for developing type 2 diabetes!! So in other words… your waist size matters!!

The scale can go up or down from day to day but your waist measurement is what counts!

So if your thinking of losing weight don’t put so much emphasis on the scale as you do measuring your waist. When you go shopping for new clothes because you lost 20 lbs you don’t want to buy the same size, that 20 lbs wouldn’t mean as much to you as if you got to buy a smaller pair of pants. SIZE MATTERS! So if you have that pair of jeans from a decade ago that you want to get back into, let that be your drive more than the scale.

]]>118Happy New Year!! Day 1 of making changes…http://foodaddictionrebel.com/2018/01/02/happy-new-year-day-1-making-changes/
Tue, 02 Jan 2018 17:42:13 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=116Hello all! Here we are beginning a brand spanking New Year!!! How many of you made those pesky New Year’s Resolutions? How many times have we all broke them within a day or two or even a few hours in? I raise both my hands up high to the sky!! The top number 1 & … Continue reading Happy New Year!! Day 1 of making changes…

]]>Hello all! Here we are beginning a brand spanking New Year!!! How many of you made those pesky New Year’s Resolutions? How many times have we all broke them within a day or two or even a few hours in? I raise both my hands up high to the sky!!

The top number 1 & 2 resolutions made for 2018 (according to Evening Standard) are, Eating better and Exercising more! These don’t sound any different than the usual and ones that I know I have made these myself for the past 20 years. But how do we stick to those resolutions? Where do we begin?

We begin slowly, not sprinting out of the gate. We start by setting goals! We create a different mindset than what we have been doing.

Create short term goals that are realistic and logical about your health & wellness. Also create long term goals to keep you engaged for the long haul. Write them down, share them with friends or family. Remind yourself daily of these goals!

Now that we have that out of the way… let’s get educated!! The group I have created on FB… Strive Health & Wellness Motivation… come to the group if you would like! For those of you following from that group to this blog, there will be more in depth writings and educating here.

So how many of us have said, “well come Monday I am starting a diet and I’m going to start working out”? And then by the end of the day we have already cheated on that “diet” and we don’t feel like exercising because we are too tired. It’s a vicious cycle that goes round and round. Then we decide to start over again the following Monday, I know I’ve said over and over again “come Monday my stomach is gonna think my throat was cut” I was gonna make sure I had all the bad foods out of the house, I was gonna stop eating fast food, junk food etc… I might of stuck to it for awhile but not long.

In this group “DIET” is a bad word!! We will NOT use it nor refer to it. Diets DON’T work!!! Well let me rephrase… they may work for awhile but not long term. Eventually we get tired of it and go back to old habits. Whatever weight we lost we will gain back almost as fast as we lost it and then some! That is the only proven fact in a diet. “Diet” always meant to me… restriction… it meant I had to give up something and the more I had to give it up, later down the road, I only wanted it more! Constant yo yo!

So what does work? What is scientifically proven by Dr’s and proven clinically? Brace yourself… it doesn’t come from pills or juicing or some fad diet. It’s by eating real foods. WOW! That’s it? What in the world does that mean? It means making smarter choices about what you eat! How many of us eat a food because it’s convenient? Packaged food/processed food is a family go to. It’s been a long day at the office, no one wants to cook… your starving, the kids are starving, who has time for this? Lets warm up a frozen meal or order out. Once in awhile this is okay, no one is saying you can’t ever do it. But processed food has tons of preservatives and added things we don’t even know how to pronounce. I will discuss in another post how to read labels and food ingredients. It is very eye opening esp when you learn what you are putting into your body and what you are doing to it.

What are real foods? Fruits, vegetables, fish preferably wild caught Alaskan salmon, grass fed lean meat, free range chickens, and of course anything organic. Now here is the deal, yes, I know these things are expensive esp for a family so maybe you don’t have the money for all these things… that’s okay!! You can still eat healthier! Get lean beef, eat more baked fish and chicken.. its how you make it that counts! You can’t fry everything, learn to bake your foods! And of course add more fruits and veggies to your meals is the best way!

If you eat salad that is wonderful! But if you smother it in salad dressing…. read the label… 2 tbsp is a whooping 180 calories and 20 grams of fat! So your nutritious salad has now become a fat bomb! There are plenty of salad dressings that are lower in calories and fat but make sure you read the ingredients!

I will be putting out blogs every day and I will discuss exactly what real foods are and give you a list. But right now focus on cutting out some of the processed foods, you don’t have to eliminate them but come up with meal plans for the nights you cook. Once you start doing your own cooking you will taste the difference, processed food won’t be as good and your body will crave homemade food! Make small changes at first and build from there. This is all a process remember that!

]]>1162017 is coming to an end…http://foodaddictionrebel.com/2017/12/28/2017-coming-end/
Thu, 28 Dec 2017 00:24:42 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=114I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and got to celebrate with the ones you love! The new year is fast approaching and for some of us this past year has not been a very good one. I know I’m ready to turn the page on 2017 and focus on 2018 and making it … Continue reading 2017 is coming to an end…

]]>I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and got to celebrate with the ones you love!

The new year is fast approaching and for some of us this past year has not been a very good one. I know I’m ready to turn the page on 2017 and focus on 2018 and making it a fantastic year!

I truly believe that what doesn’t kill us, does make us stronger!! If you have been knocked down learn how to get back up… and FIGHT!!! Don’t make what has weakened you in the past, define you! STRIVE & RISE!! I have started a closed group on facebook called Strive! Health & Wellness Motivation… if anyone out there is reading this would like to join please let me know… it’s a group where I will share some coaching strategies and where motivation will be the key to our success!

We all need to be held accountable and learn this is a process, a marathon, NOT a sprint!! It’s learning to make your health & wellness a priority, consistency… Make your health a habit!!

You have all had the opportunity to read about my personal journey, ALL the ups and downs… it’s not over for me by a long shot! I have to take each day as it comes and vow to myself, that I will NOT allow for myself to ever go back to the way I was before! It’s not easy, some days are harder than others… I am and always will be a food addict! The choices I make daily effect me…. whether its food or laying around all day and not being active. It’s easier to eat crappy and grab what’s convenient rather than plan a meal and cook it… so every day I have to remind myself where I have came from and where I want to be… and that is making the ‘right” choices in food and exercise… and every step in the right direction is a win!! On days I don’t follow my regimen, I don’t beat myself up… none of us are perfect and were not going to be all the time… I chose to make healthier choices 8 out of 10 times… but I wasn’t always there… when I first started it was maybe 2 out of 10… but as I learned about nutrition and my health that number went up… I realized I will not be a 10 out of 10 every day but for the majority I strive for that! Once you get “used” to eating healthier your body WILL let you know when you have not! And because of the after shocks of what unhealthy eating does and how it makes me feel… most of the time what I ate was not worth it!

I recently had my blood work done and my levels were all good! I can’t remember the last time that happened! My journey started 3 years ago… but I got real serious about it 6 months ago… I’m still a work in progress… and I will be for the rest of my life!

]]>114Hussell and Bussell time of year!http://foodaddictionrebel.com/2017/12/20/hussell-bussell-time-year/
Wed, 20 Dec 2017 19:51:41 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=111Holidays are such a busy time of the year… go here, go there, Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, Christmas get togethers, baking the goodies for your family and friends… co-workers bringing in food to share…. cooooookies, cake, candy, drinks…. UGH!! How many of us year after year make our New Year’s resolution to Lose Weight??? I … Continue reading Hussell and Bussell time of year!

]]>Holidays are such a busy time of the year… go here, go there, Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, Christmas get togethers, baking the goodies for your family and friends… co-workers bringing in food to share…. cooooookies, cake, candy, drinks…. UGH!!

How many of us year after year make our New Year’s resolution to Lose Weight??? I have made that mine too many times to count! And I don’t know about you guys but I used to do good for about 2 weeks, if that! Then right back to where I was before. I had no willpower, no dedication, no desire to want to really make changes.

But I would try over and over again through out the year, and always on a Monday… I mean, why was it always on a Monday? I never had a real answer for that except, it gave me all weekend to eat as much as I wanted and indulge on everything that could possibly be bad for me… because come Monday, my stomach was gonna feel like my throat had been cut! I vowed over and over to get control. I failed each time…

I’ve learned in the past six months what my relationship with food was, what my triggers are, how to deal with it. What I put into my body matters more that just what the scale says or my pant size. I broke that mold that tied me down so many times.

I think the number one question I’m always asked is, “how did I do this?” second question “what did I do”? Everyone wants an easy answer or easy solution. Most of us know that proper diet and exercise is the key. But we want results now, not later. Yes, I had weight loss surgery but it is only a tool to help… it doesn’t stop the cravings or what I put into my body when I eat. Nor does it the surgery not make me hungry… all false!

So my answers to those questions are not some miracle cure… sorry not sorry. It took me getting educated and learning about nutrition and exercise… how to set goals, short term, and long term. I learned I had to be idealistic about where I want to be and not live in a fantasy world.

Set goals for yourself before the end of the year of what you want out of 2018! Write them down somewhere where you can see them. Don’t be afraid to change old habits, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself!

During the next year I will post about some of the things I have learned and for anyone out there wanting one on one coaching… you can contact me on this blog or my personal email…. striveandrise4health@gmail.com we can discuss your personal goals, and we can discuss my fees.

I can’t express enough what it is like to live a healthier lifestyle and how it saved my life getting educated!

]]>111I am now a Certified Health Coach!!http://foodaddictionrebel.com/2017/12/18/now-certified-health-coach/
Mon, 18 Dec 2017 18:41:39 +0000http://foodaddictionrebel.com/?p=109Good afternoon all! It’s been a while since I have posted! I have been extremely busy studying for my health coach certification test! I’ve been in school for several months learning all kinds of good things about how to live a healthier life! Good news is I PASSED MY CERTIFICATION!! Yaaaay! So now I am … Continue reading I am now a Certified Health Coach!!

]]>Good afternoon all! It’s been a while since I have posted! I have been extremely busy studying for my health coach certification test! I’ve been in school for several months learning all kinds of good things about how to live a healthier life! Good news is I PASSED MY CERTIFICATION!! Yaaaay! So now I am a Certified Health Coach and I’m beyond happy and excited about that!

I’ve always known that I wanted to help others that struggle, not with just their weight but how to live a healthier lifestyle! I wanted to know all the “whys” and “how” comes… I wanted proof and knowledge how these changes work for your body and what it does.

I just graduated from one of the top five Institutes for Health Coaching! Dr Sears Wellness Institute! I learned about the science behind living a healthier lifestyle, how the body responds to food and exercise.

As most of you already know… I am still going through this process of losing weight and incorporating better ways to get and stay healthy!

My goals are not the same goals that others may have in achieving a healthier lifestyle, not everyone wants to lose weight nor do they need too. But if your wanting to learn about healthy living and understand some of the things that goes on within your body, that is what I want to teach you! I know for me, once all this was taught to me I defiantly had my “ah ha” moments! All these years of struggling with my addiction to food FINALLY made sense!!

I will coach my clients on the acronym I learned from school…. L.E.A.N.

L= Lifestyle

E= Exercise

A= Attitude

N= Nutrition

I will also offer Individual one on one coaching, group coaching, Pantry Makeover, Smart Shopping, workshops and much more!

My new business is STRIVE Health & Wellness Coaching!! Website will be launched in the first part of the year but until then I am available to set up appointments through here on this blog or my business email striveandrise4health@gmail.com